Welcome back to another blog hop, with #OpenBook. Here’s this week’s prompt.
Don’t forget to click the link to see what everyone else has to say on this week’s subject. It’s at the end of my post.
Chat with readers about a childhood event that still sticks out in your mind, something you’d like to go through again.
I’d like to take you back in time. To 1962. In September of that year, I started school. The next six years were the happiest of my life.
I remember my parents old valve radio, taking an age to warm up. And the tunes; the soundtrack to my childhood was graced with some of the best music ever made. New groups hit the airwaves, like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, to name just two of hundreds. I remember hearing what are now regarded as classics for the first time. Hearing some songs can take me right back to those days.
Home then was a small village in Devon, with a village school of just under 80 pupils, next to a church and surrounded by fields. The rest of the pupils were a mixture of farmers’ children and those of the local artisans.
My father was one such artisan; he was a carpenter and furniture restorer, working for local businesses and individuals. Everyone in the local area knew each other, and summers seemed to last forever.
We had the free run of the local area, as I grew up and learned to ride a bicycle, the locality opened up. We would cycle through the lanes to the beach and play all day. Being local, we knew the quiet places, the coves that the tourists of the time couldn’t easily get to.
We played in the woods and streams, walked miles and only stayed inside if we had to.
The only requirement from our parents was that we behaved ourselves and were home for tea.
We never realised how lucky we were, because it all seemed normal to us.
I would love to relive those carefree days again.
What do you think about this week’s subject?
Let me know by leaving me a comment.
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I’ll be back with another post on Thursday, see you then. Meanwhile, have a great week.
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Stevie Turner
It sounds as though you grew up in an idyllic location. You were well and truly lucky! I grew up far removed from the beach and country lanes (in the East End of London) but have them now in Suffolk/IOW.
Richard Dee
We moved to Tottenham when I was twelve and I hated it.
P.J. MacLayne
We had farms on three sides, and a hobby airport behind us. We had the run of the pastures and woods, and during the summer, were occasionally entertained by skydivers practicing their jumps. What we didn’t have was a lot of schoolmates who lived nearby to play with.
Richard Dee
It sounds perfect in many ways, a shame about the isolation.
Darlene Foster
Sounds like a wonderful childhood. You were very lucky.
Richard Dee
In a lot of ways the 1960s were the end of something, as well as a beginning.
Samantha Bryant
That really does sound lovely. I had similar freedom, but a more urban setting in my childhood. @samanthabwriter from
Balancing Act
Richard Dee
Sadly, by the time I had children of my own, the freedom of those days had gone.
Kelly Williams
Perfection. It sounds wonderful! I wish I had enough to relocate to such a place. It’s wild how it takes more money to live this way today. A nice cottage with plenty of space for me and my donkey (bit of a Beatles pun there!).
Richard Dee
Yeah, back then, living in the country was seen as the poor mans life and everyone wanted to move to the city (where it’s at!). When I did, it was a disappointment.